ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Wednesday took the extraordinary step of unanimously deciding to move a privilege motion against the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, the federal minister, the minister of state, and the chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) for failing to submit the required record on the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and requisite documents.

The motion was moved by the Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, which met at the Parliament House under the chairpersonship of Munaza Hassan.

At the outset of the proceedings, the chairperson expressed serious reservations over the ministry’s failure to furnish the mandated briefing documents, terming it a clear disregard for parliamentary oversight and procedural obligations.

The committee noted that despite the agenda formally including the PSDP review, no comprehensive brief had been submitted for scrutiny.

Members observed that withholding critical development information from the standing committee constituted a violation of established rules and undermined the committee’s constitutional mandate to ensure transparency, accountability and financial prudence in climate-related public expenditure.

The committee further took serious notice of the Capital Development Authority’s failure to provide requisite documentation, with members emphasising that repeated non-compliance by the CDA chairman could not be normalised.

Members unanimously resolved to initiate a privilege motion against the ministry, the federal minister, the minister of state, and the CDA chairman for non-compliance and failure to assist the committee in the discharge of its parliamentary responsibilities.

In view of the gravity of the matter and the absence of substantive material for deliberation, the committee decided to adjourn the sitting.

The meeting of the Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination was attended by MNAs Syeda Shehla Raza, Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro,Tamkeen Akhter Niazi, Shahida Rahmani, Mir Khan Mohammad Jamali, Tahira Aurangzeb and Mussarat Rafique Mahesar along with senior officials from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and the Capital Development Authority.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2026